Dance group wants to raise funds, inspire hope

The Centre of Performing Arts will present recitals Friday and Saturday at Williams High School. Donations will be accepted for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Get more details at www.copa-dance.com or (336) 228-1553.

Sam Roberts / Times-News

By Charity Apple / Times-News

Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 03:16 AM.

Anna Allred was only 3 years old when Make-A-Wish® granted her wish to “eat cake with Cinderella in a blue dress.” “Make-A-Wish is so fantastic because they let kids be kids; it’s their week to let loose,” said her mom, Jamie, during a recent interview. Anna was 9 months old when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 neuroblastoma. “We went in for shots and got the diagnosis,” Jamie said. “Neuroblastomas are silent. The tumor was detected behind her lung. It was 5-inches-by-5-inches and took up her entire back.” There are bits and pieces of the trip to Disney World that Anna said she remembers and of course, the family has lots of photos, too. Her big blue eyes open wide with excitement as she talks about meeting the princesses. When asked why she got to go on this trip, her reply is simply, “because I had cancer.” Now 9, Anna is not only cancer-free, but this weekend she will take part in recitals for the Centre for Performing Arts (COPA) which will raise funds for Make-A-Wish® Central and Western North Carolina. Pre-show performances are at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday; recitals will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Williams High School, 1307 S. Church St., Burlington. The dance center, located in Graham, has held fundraisers since February with a goal of raising $6,000, enough to grant one child’s wish. Admission to attend the recitals is free, but donations will be accepted for Make-A-Wish. Raffle tickets also will be sold for $1 each, $5 for 10, $10 for 20 and $20 for 40 and winners will be announced at each recital. Winners don’t have to be present to win; each winner will receive a $200 tuition gift certificate to COPA. The recitals culminate the center’s fundraisers, which have included bake sales, a fundraiser at Dottie’s Home Cooking in Graham and other events. Dancing, for Anna, is more than just an expression of childhood joy. “She comes to life when she’s out there,” Jamie said. “My husband and I will often look at each other and say ‘who is that kid?’ ” Although the battle was a tough one for the whole family, Jamie said upon Anna’s diagnosis and throughout the experience — “it’s just the Lord. You know the Lord is going to get you through.” Jamie and Tony Allred will share Anna’s story during the recitals this weekend. To make donations to Make-A-Wish or for more details on this weekend’s recitals, call (336) 228-1553 or visit www.copa-dance.com.

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published
without permission. Links are encouraged.

Anna Allred was only 3 years old when Make-A-Wish® granted her wish to “eat cake with Cinderella in a blue dress.”
“Make-A-Wish is so fantastic because they let kids be kids; it’s their week to let loose,” said her mom, Jamie, during a recent interview.
Anna was 9 months old when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 neuroblastoma.
“We went in for shots and got the diagnosis,” Jamie said. “Neuroblastomas are silent. The tumor was detected behind her lung. It was 5-inches-by-5-inches and took up her entire back.”
There are bits and pieces of the trip to Disney World that Anna said she remembers and of course, the family has lots of photos, too. Her big blue eyes open wide with excitement as she talks about meeting the princesses. When asked why she got to go on this trip, her reply is simply, “because I had cancer.”
Now 9, Anna is not only cancer-free, but this weekend she will take part in recitals for the Centre for Performing Arts (COPA) which will raise funds for Make-A-Wish® Central and Western North Carolina. Pre-show performances are at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday; recitals will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Williams High School, 1307 S. Church St., Burlington.
The dance center, located in Graham, has held fundraisers since February with a goal of raising $6,000, enough to grant one child’s wish. Admission to attend the recitals is free, but donations will be accepted for Make-A-Wish. Raffle tickets also will be sold for $1 each, $5 for 10, $10 for 20 and $20 for 40 and winners will be announced at each recital. Winners don’t have to be present to win; each winner will receive a $200 tuition gift certificate to COPA. The recitals culminate the center’s fundraisers, which have included bake sales, a fundraiser at Dottie’s Home Cooking in Graham and other events.
Dancing, for Anna, is more than just an expression of childhood joy.
“She comes to life when she’s out there,” Jamie said. “My husband and I will often look at each other and say ‘who is that kid?’ ”
Although the battle was a tough one for the whole family, Jamie said upon Anna’s diagnosis and throughout the experience — “it’s just the Lord. You know the Lord is going to get you through.”
Jamie and Tony Allred will share Anna’s story during the recitals this weekend.
To make donations to Make-A-Wish or for more details on this weekend’s recitals, call (336) 228-1553 or visit www.copa-dance.com.